LG Display wants to stop Galaxy Note 10.1 production due to alleged infringement of its LCD patents

The patent battle between smartphone and tablet makers has come to a whole new dimension with the display divisions of large companies suing each other on the basis of patent infringements. LG Display, which is the display panel arm of LG has filed a patent-based lawsuit against Samsung and its display arm.

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The injunction was filed with the Seoul Central District Court, with LG Display requesting the court to stop Samsung (which receives displays from its display arm) from making “the Galaxy Note 10.1 using LG Display technology.” The company believes that Samsung’s Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet infringes three of its patents which are related to the liquid crystal display technology more commonly known as LCD.

An LG spokesman said in an official statement that “Samsung infringed on our key technology for IPS (in-plane switching) LCD panels”.

In response to LG’s claims, a Samsung spokesman said that the company would “scrutinize every aspect of LG’s claim and take all necessary action to protect what is ours.”

The three patents that according to LG are infringed by Samsung were developed by the company in 1996 and are used in all the tablets of today. LG is requesting the court to stop further production of Galaxy Note 10.1 or make Samsung pay 1 billion won on a daily basis if the production isn’t stopped.

On the other hand Samsung had filed a sperate case with the same court earlier this month claiming that LG has infringed seven of its very own LCD patents with displays such as the one used by the LG Optimus G smartphone. One of the patents Samsung claimed LG violated was related its plane to switching (PLS) technology.

This is not the first time LG and Samsung have gone head to head in courts in 2012, but the fifth time. Industry watchers believe that both companies are getting into legal battle due to their traditional rivalry, with both of them interested in taking the lead in the lucrative panel business. Both of these companies not only produce displays for tablets and smartphones but both also have very strong line ups of televisions, which are supplied worldwide.